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Allan Gerson is First US Photographer to Have Solo Exhibition –
The Sanctuary of the Shadow – At 2010 Asilah Arts Festival in Morocco
Washington, DC-Based Artist Also Showing 15 Pieces of Jewelry Derived from his Photos
Washington, DC (July 6, 2010) – The 2010 Asilah Arts Festival in Asilah, Morocco, will host the exhibition “The Sanctuary of the Shadow” featuring twenty-two photographs by Washington, DC-based artist Allan Gerson. The exhibition opens July 10, 2010 at the King Hassan II Center, immediately following a reception at the Prince Bandar Bin Al Sultan Library, and remains on view through July 26. Gerson is the first American photographer to have a solo exhibition at the 32-year old festival.
Allan Gerson, a well-known attorney who specializes in international law, maintains a dual career as a photographer, and more recently as a jewelry designer. In “The Sanctuary of the Shadow”, the artist uses black & white and color photography to pay homage to the architectural intricacy and beauty of the King Hassan II Mosque, and to explore the distinct topography of the Sahara and America’s Death Valley and the sinuous rock formations at Slot Canyons.
In the catalogue that accompanies the exhibition, art critic Farid Zahi characterizes Gerson’s photography as a “mystical intoxication” and the artist’s vision as “one in which unity is found in multiplicity.” Also in the catalogue, author and photographer Jay Dusard writes: “Allan is an abstractionist, a seeker of design, wherever is it to be found.”
My work is about about the interplay of light and shadow, and capturing an elusive, ephemeral, defining moment.” Gerson said. “I’m very honored and grateful to the Asilah Arts Festival organizers, and especially Mohammed Benaïssa, for the opportunity to exhibit my work at their extraordinary event.”
Accompanying the 22 photographs are 15 pieces of jewelry Gerson designed based on his own photographs. Included are cuff bracelets, pendants, earrings, brooches, belt buckles and cuff links whose designs echo the tracery windows of the King Hassan II Mosque and the sands of the Sahara.
Gerson is represented by Kaller Fine Arts (www.kallerfinearts.com). A fully illustrated, English/French/Arabic language catalogue with essays by Farid Zahi and Jay Dusard accompanies the exhibition.
The Asilah Arts Festival, established in 1978 by the Mohammed Benaïssa, Morocco’s former Minister of Culture, and Mohammed Melehi, is North Africa’s largest. It features artists and performers from dozens of countries and annually draws more than 100,000 attendees. The festival is held in the seaside resort of Asilah, a port town on the Atlantic just over 30 miles south of Tangiers, that was originally established as a Phoenician trading port circa 1500 B.C.
Media Only: Nord Wennerstrom Wennerstrom Communications
E: nord@wennerco.com
The Sanctuary of the Shadow – At 2010 Asilah Arts Festival in Morocco
Washington, DC-Based Artist Also Showing 15 Pieces of Jewelry Derived from his Photos
Washington, DC (July 6, 2010) – The 2010 Asilah Arts Festival in Asilah, Morocco, will host the exhibition “The Sanctuary of the Shadow” featuring twenty-two photographs by Washington, DC-based artist Allan Gerson. The exhibition opens July 10, 2010 at the King Hassan II Center, immediately following a reception at the Prince Bandar Bin Al Sultan Library, and remains on view through July 26. Gerson is the first American photographer to have a solo exhibition at the 32-year old festival.
Allan Gerson, a well-known attorney who specializes in international law, maintains a dual career as a photographer, and more recently as a jewelry designer. In “The Sanctuary of the Shadow”, the artist uses black & white and color photography to pay homage to the architectural intricacy and beauty of the King Hassan II Mosque, and to explore the distinct topography of the Sahara and America’s Death Valley and the sinuous rock formations at Slot Canyons.
In the catalogue that accompanies the exhibition, art critic Farid Zahi characterizes Gerson’s photography as a “mystical intoxication” and the artist’s vision as “one in which unity is found in multiplicity.” Also in the catalogue, author and photographer Jay Dusard writes: “Allan is an abstractionist, a seeker of design, wherever is it to be found.”
My work is about about the interplay of light and shadow, and capturing an elusive, ephemeral, defining moment.” Gerson said. “I’m very honored and grateful to the Asilah Arts Festival organizers, and especially Mohammed Benaïssa, for the opportunity to exhibit my work at their extraordinary event.”
Accompanying the 22 photographs are 15 pieces of jewelry Gerson designed based on his own photographs. Included are cuff bracelets, pendants, earrings, brooches, belt buckles and cuff links whose designs echo the tracery windows of the King Hassan II Mosque and the sands of the Sahara.
Gerson is represented by Kaller Fine Arts (www.kallerfinearts.com). A fully illustrated, English/French/Arabic language catalogue with essays by Farid Zahi and Jay Dusard accompanies the exhibition.
The Asilah Arts Festival, established in 1978 by the Mohammed Benaïssa, Morocco’s former Minister of Culture, and Mohammed Melehi, is North Africa’s largest. It features artists and performers from dozens of countries and annually draws more than 100,000 attendees. The festival is held in the seaside resort of Asilah, a port town on the Atlantic just over 30 miles south of Tangiers, that was originally established as a Phoenician trading port circa 1500 B.C.
Media Only: Nord Wennerstrom Wennerstrom Communications
E: nord@wennerco.com
